rail shot technique-help?

berlowmj

berlowmj

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It is beautiful when it works. It is as if the CB caresses the OB & tenderly places it in a trench to the pocket. However, the more I read & as I come across contradictory advice, the more inconsistent I become.

I am now trying to put upper outside English on the CB & aim it for the crack between the OB & the rail. I need greater precision on this technique which I can hardwire into my brain. Yesterday, I spent 2 hours doing rail shot drills.
 
berlowmj said:
It is beautiful when it works. It is as if the CB caresses the OB & tenderly places it in a trench to the pocket. However, the more I read & as I come across contradictory advice, the more inconsistent I become.

I am now trying to put upper outside English on the CB & aim it for the crack between the OB & the rail. I need greater precision on this technique which I can hardwire into my brain. Yesterday, I spent 2 hours doing rail shot drills.
Click to expand...

First thing you should do is practice making rail shots with no english.

Then, after you get done with that, what you should do is practice making rail shots with no english some more. And then some more, at different speeds.

You need a reference for what a normal hit feels like. What you are having to do with your current practice is compensate for the curve of the cue ball on it's way to the object ball. Unless you can pocket the ball pretty much 100% with center ball hits, then you will always be inconsistent under pressure.

Also, if using outside english on those rail shots, remember the slower you hit the cue ball, the further you have to adjust your aim, up to a certain point. Then, once you get past that point, you have to adjust again the harder you hit.

Now for the players on here that are better than me, please correct me, if needed.. But I think that when using outside english on a cut shot, a medium speed is almost always best, as practicing this medium speed hit gives a player a reference point for hitting a ball at "pocket speed".


Russ
 
I wouldn't try outside unless you're drawing the cueball. Try hitting rail first with no english or middle inside. Then aim more toward the ball if you need to come off it more forward or draw back.

unknownpro
 
This is one reason everyone should play at least a little billiards. Get exposed to it!

One of the problems with this shot on a pool table is that these shots are highly effected by the table conditions. Dirty balls and dirty/old cloth makes the CB come off sharper than with new/clean equipment. All the diamond systems are determined with clean balls and new cloth that has Slide.

Generally I use Running English, speed is determined by how far the cue needs to travel. There are a few ways to determine the contact point on the rail but one simple way that I find as good as any is to look at the shot from behind the OB and visualize how that CB will come off. Sometimes standing several feet away from the shot will help to get that visualization.

Another way is to measure the distance from the diamond to the contact point on the OB. Take that distance and move up the rail the same distance. This one is difficult since I usually don't have a ruler with me. But if the hit isn't critical it works very well.
 
Thank you so much for your suggestions. I did drills on rail shots this evening moving out to increasing angles as I achieved success. Next time I will practice with English only to achieve position or for very exteme angles. Thanks again.
 
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